Rheostat



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. A. KESSNER. RHEOSTAT.

No. 460,972. Patented Oct. 13,1891.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR- Otto Alfessnen 6% @m/ BY fi fiWJWATT'Y.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. A. KESSNER. RHEOSTAT.

No. 460,972. Patented Oct. 13,1891.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR- Oti/o LH. K888714917, BY QQ ATT'Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

OTTO A. KESSNER, OF N ElVARK, NElV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE HANSON & VAN XVINKLE COMPANY, OF NElV JERSEY.

RH EO STAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,972, dated October 13, 1891.

Application filed March 18, 1891- Serial No. 385,487. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and 50 Be it known that I, OTTO A. KESSNER, a citifinally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

zen of the United States, residing at Newark, In the accompanying three sheets of drawin the county of Essex and State of New ings, in which is illustrated my invention,

Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Figure 1 is a plan View of my new resistance- Improvements in Resistance-Boards or Rheoboard or rheostat. On Sheet 2, Fig. 2 is a 55 stats; and I do hereby declare the following side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a to be a full, clear, and exact description of the vertical section of Fig. 2. invention, such as will enable others skilled Similar reference-letters are employed to Io in the art to which it appertains to make and indicate corresponding parts in each of the use the same, reference being had to the ac several views. 60 companying drawings, and to letters of ref- In the drawings, A is a base or board of erence marked thereon, which form a part of wood or other non-conducting material, prothis specification. vided with feet a. The upper part of said This invention relates to a device adapted board a is provided with a spiral groove a, in

to be used in connection with dynamo-elecwhich is securely arranged a spiral conduct- 6 5 tric machines, having for its object the intering or resistance plate I), which is of uniform position of a desired electrical resistance in thickness and homogeneous material, thereby a circuit, whereby the electro-motive force oiferingauniform resistance atallpointstoan from a dynamo can be controlled and readily electrical current passing through the same.

regulated when applied directly to the field- Said base A is preferably hollow underneath, 7o magnets of a shunt-wound machine by means as will be seen from Fig. 3, and is provided of said device, thereby carefully adjusting with acentral perforation a through which the current, which is very essential in the passes a pivotal post (1, and around which is 2 5 processes of alloy deposits of any metal. arranged a perforated sleeve 0, saidsleeve The invention has therefore for its main resting upon the base and forming a bearing 75 purpose to provide an electrical device or infor an arm or lever 6, upon which rests the strument for obtaining a gradual increase or head d upon the pivotal post (Z. The lower decrease of power without the sudden fiuctuend of said post is secured to the base by 0 ations, as caused in machines of the ordinary means of nuts (Z and d and into the lower construction in making and breaking a circuit end of said post is screwed a binding-screw 80 in between two points of different'potentials d, to which is connected a wire f. A second in the circuits. post 9 is secured in a perforation in the base The invention therefore consists of aboard and held therein by means of a nut g, said provided on its upper surface with a continpost projecting up above the upper surface uous spiral of conducting material and a 0011- of the base, and one end of the spiral plate I) 8 5 necting-piece also of conducting material arbeing formed around said post, as shown ranged to slide longitudinally on an operatmore especially 1n Fig. A binding-screw ing-arm and making electrical connection 9 connectswith the bottom of said post, havwith the spiral, the circuit terminals being ing a wiref connected therewith. The lever connected with one end of the spiral and with or arm 6 is provided with a finger-piece e 0 the pivotal post of the handle, whereby the said arm extending radially above the upper entire length of the spiral or a part thereof is edge of the spiral plate I) from its pivotal interposed in the circuit, which is either a post. Upon said arm or levere is a d 4 5 main circuit or a shunt, and the force or power a slide 7L, provided with downwardly-projectof the current can be gradually increased or iug springs or brushes h, which are made to 5 decreased with accuracy and ease. embrace both sides of the spiral plate I), as

The invention further consists in certain shown. In order to insure electrical comarrangements and combinations of parts, as munication between the slide and the lever or arm 6, I have placed on one end of said arm a binding-post e and upon said slide it is arranged a second binding-post 7L2, and connecting said post is a flexible cable z, of any desirable construction.

From Fig. 3 it will be evident that by means of the wires f and f the device can be arranged in a circuit, either main or shunt, the current passing from wire f through post (1, arm e, (or coil 1,) through the slide h, and its brushes h, which complete the circuit with the spiral resistance-plate b, as will be evident. Oonsequently when the arm 0 is turned about its pivotal post (1 the brushes h slide along the spiral plate 1), thereby causing the slide h to move longitudinally on the arm e, according to the direction of its rotation. Thus it will be clearly evident that any desired length of the spiral plate I) can be cut out of circuit or thrown into circuit, and the electro-motive force of the machine can be carefully adjusted and gradually increased or decreased as may be necessary without making or breaking the circuit, as in machines as now ordinarily used for this purpose, and without causing a sudden fall of potential, which is of great disadvantage in the use, in connection with the process of alloy deposits, of any metal where it is n ecessary to very carefully adjust the machine in order to properly control the current.

The handle or lever 6 can be graduated on its opposite edges to designate the volts and amperes.

My device is adapted for use more especially in the process of electroplating, but the instrument can be used either as a rheostat or a resistance-coil or as a potentiometer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. An instrument for controlling electrical currents, consisting of a base or support of non-conducting material, a conductor spirally disposed upon its upper surface and projecting up from and above said upper surface, extending from or near the outer ec ge of the base toward and near the center thereof, a conducting traveler connecting with said spiral conductor, and means for moving said traveler along the length of and in contact with said conductor, for the purposes set forth. 2. An instrument for controlling electrical currents, consisting of a base or support of non-conducting material, a conductor spirally disposed upon its upper surface and projecting up from and above said upper surface, extending from or near the outer edge of the base toward and near the center thereof, a conducting traveler connecting with said spiral conductor, means for moving said traveler along the length of and in contact with said conductor, and circuit connections communicating, respectively, with said traveler and with one end of said spiral conductor, for the purposes set forth.

3. An instrument for controlling electrical currents, consisting of a base or support of non-conductin g material, a conductor spirally disposed upon its upper surface and projecting up from and above said upper surface, extending from or near the outer edge of the base toward and near the center thereof, a conducting slide or traveler connecting with said spiral conductor, an arm or lever pivoted to said base and upon which said traveler slides while making contact, and circuit connections communicating, respectively, with said lever or arm and with one end of said spiral conductor, for the purposes set forth.

4. An instrument for controlling electrical currents, consisting of a base or support of non-conducting material, a conductor spirally disposed upon its upper surface and projecting up from and above said upper surface, extending from or near the outer edge of the base toward and near the center thereof, a conducting slide or traveler connecting with said spiral conductor, a post d, centrally arranged on said base orsupport, alever or arm extending radially from said post above the spiral conductor, said slide or traveler sliding upon said arm, and circuit connections communicating, respectively, with said post (Z and with one end of the spiral conductor, for the purposes set forth.

5. An instrument for controlling electrical currents, consisting of a base or support of n on-conductin g material, a conductor spirally disposed upon its upper surface, a conducting slide or traveler connecting with said spiral conductor, a post (I, centrally arranged on said base or support, a lever or arm ex tending radially from said post above the spiral conductor, said slide or traveler sliding upon said arm, binding-posts on said arm and said slide or traveler, respectively, and an electrical cable connecting said posts, respectively, with said post (Z and with one end of the spiral conductor, for the purposes set forth.

6. An instrument for controlling electrical currents, consisting of a base or support, a conductor spirally disposed upon said base, and projecting up from and above said upper surface and extending from or near the outer edge of the base toward and near the center thereof, a conducting slide or traveler connecting with said spiral conductor, an arm or lever pivoted to said base, an index-scale on said arm, and means for connecting said traveler and the spiral conductor in the circuit, for the purposes set forth.

'7. The combination of the base A, the spiral conductor 1), arranged in a spiral groove in the upper surface of said base-post (Z, connecting with wire f, arm or lever e on said post (Z, slide or traveler h on said lever e, provided with springs or brush 7L, and circuit connections, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. An instrument for controlling electrical circuits, consisting of a base or support of non-conducting material, a conductor spirally disposed in a spiral groove in its upper sur- IIO face projecting up therefrom and above said upper surface, a post extending up from said base, a lever or arm extending radially from said post above the spiral conductor, a slide or traveler sliding upon said arm, brushes or springs extending down from slide or traveler in sliding contact with the spiral con-' ductor, and circuit connections communicating, respectively, with said post and With one end of the spiral-conductor, for the purposes set forth.

9. An instrument for controlling electrical circuits, consisting of a base or support of non-conducting material, a conductor spirally disposed in a spiral groove in its upper surface, projecting up therefrom and above said upper surface, a post extending up from said OTTO A. KESSNER.

Witnesses:

FREDK. O. FRAENTZEL, ABM. VAN WINKLE. 

